Universal beaching gear



Aug. 21, 1956 WALSH 2,759,739

UNIVERSAL BEACHING GEAR Filed Aug. 27, 1955 4 I 9 INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent This invention relates to beaching of seacraft, including the hulls of boats, flying boats and other craft, and

more particularly to the beaching gear or equipment employed in the beaching operation. 7

The beaching of seacraft has'presented certain problems on account of weight, space, time, storage and handling, safety precautions in attaching, the necessity of having a complete set of beaching gears for each craft, as well as problems presented by natural factors or elements, including water and the like, and that of a practical and useful device for the purpose intended.

It is an object of the invention to provide simple, practical, sturdy beaching gear of relatively light weight which is buoyant and can be easily carried, applied, and removed without injury to the person or property, with the upper portions relatively rockable and rota-table, and which can be used with almost any type of craft.

' Another object of the invention is to provide beaching i gear which will float in an upright position, which is usable on all types of craft Without 'the 'nccessity of having a model for each craft, which can be left ashore, will occupy minimum space, and including a set of adaptors for connecting the same to the craft, which set of adaptors may be either carried along in a relatively small space or left ashore as desired, and which is of strong, light-weight metal, minimizing the amount of equipment necessary or required to be transported, so that it does not occupy precious bomb bay or other spacedesired to be used for other purposes.

Another object of the invention is to provide beachin gear of a character that three or more units of a particular character may be employed in the b'eaching' of any size and weight craft, and constructed to permit slight rotary and rocking movement of 'the same during use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in con- Figs. 4 and 5, perspectives of the skeleton .frameihoused in the flotation tank;

Fig. 6, a top plan view of the upper member ofthe turntable; and

Fig. 7, a section on the line 7--7 of Fig. 6. 1 Briefly stated, the present invention comprises beaching gear units, an appropriate number of which may be used in beaching flying boats and the like, three of such :identical units being illustrated-one ateach side of the fuselage and one beneath 'the tail of ,the :craft. Each set of beaching gear comprises a set-of adaptors for attachment to the craft to be beached, the particular shape providing portions disposed as required for the particular hull to be handled in order to, contact and member substantially at right angles thereto.

2,759,739 Patented Aug. 21, 19 56 ice conform to similar portions of the craft. The adaptors are to be manufactured in sets of three or more, of such configuration as may be required, to mate with the attach- '.ig devices which are available in the hull to be handled. ln this manner one set of gear with several types of adaptors may be used in beaching various models of flying boats by virtue ofthe exchanging of the adaptors. The adaptor includes on its bottom .a plate or disk, and the adaptor with the plate or disk constitutes the exchangeable part in accommodating the gear to a particular type of hull.

A rocker member. is fastened by bolts to the'plate or disk on the bottom of the adaptor and to such rocker member is attached a turntable mounted upon a skeleton frame. This frame is composed of a base the sides of which are substantially of equal length and therefore form an equilateral triangle. From the three corners of the trianguluar base extend three members substantially of equallength joined at their apexes to the turntable.

The turntable consists of upper and lower disks with a stud extending from the upper disk through the lower and with'a nut-threaded on its end and retaining the parts assembled. Thus, the skeleton frame has four triangular sides ofsubstantially equal dimensions.

About the skeleton frame are welded four cover plates which when attached provide a flotation tank the interior o-f'which is 'filled 'with plastic foam or other buoyant material in order that the device will float. The flotationtank is in turn supported by a pair of wheels and an axle and a small pivot wheel, said axle being disposed parallel to one side of the triangular base and the small pivot wheel connected to the angle of the base at a position remote from the axleso that the greater weight willv be carried by the axle.

With continued reference to the drawing, the beaching gear of the present invention comprises a series of units adapted to be attached to flying boats or other structures to be beached. The number of units used corresponds to the size and weight of the craft and the terrain, one being employed under each. side and one under the tail of smaller craft, and additional units are added to larger and heavier. structures.

The flying boat illustrated includes a fuselage 10 to which the beaching gear isdetachably connected by means of an L-shaped adaptor having long and short portions or arms 11 and 1-2 respectively disposed substantially at right angles one to the other in order to fit against correspondingly located surfaces of the fuselage. The adaptor may be fastened to the craft in anydesiredmanner to permit quick attachment or detachment thereof and for purposes of illustration may have one or more projections 13 or other means capable of complementary engagement with depressions 14 in the fuselage on one of the arms of the adaptor and with the other arm adapted to be fastened to the craft by means of an opening 15 in the end portion of the arm, a bolt 16 in such opening and a pair of apertured lugs 17 attached to the craft on opposite sides of the adaptor arm and receive said bolt. Thus, afixed connection is provided between the adaptor and thecraft to be beached. If desired, a wearplate 18 may be employed between 'theadaptor and the craft and may have a surface protecting sheath 19.

The base of the adaptor is providedwith a circular plate Zllto :whichis attached, by means of a series of studs or fastening elements 21,'a rocker member 22. The rocker member has on its under side a pair of spaced depending apertured lugs 23 between which a projection 24 is adapted to be received such projection being carried by the upper half 25 of a circular turntable or pivot The projection24 is provided with an opening 26 for a pivot 27. AstopZS' may be provided for limiting the rocking move" 3 ment between the members 22 and 25. If desired, the upper turntable member 25 may have an outer depending flange 28, an annular bearing groove 29, and a depending shank 30 provided with external threads 31. The shank likewise may have an opening therethrough for a cotter key 32. A castellated nut 33 and washer 34 may be employed for holding a lower turntable or rotatable member 35 on the shank 30, such lower rotatable member preferably having a central aperture 36 and an annular bearing groove 37 and is of an external diameter to fit snugly within the flange 28. The bearing grooves 29 and 37 are disposed in opposite relation and serve to retain a bearing 38 therein so that the relatively rotatable members 25 and 35 may move freely one in relation to the other during beaching. However, to make it'possible to prevent such movement, the rotary members may be provided with aligned openings 39 and 40 for reception of a locking pin 41.

The lower section of the turntable is supported by a skeleton frame 42 of pyramidal configuration composed of tubular frame members all substantially of equal length and formed so that the frame has each face defined by a substantially equilateral triangle. This frame has each triangular side enclosed by a plate 43 of triangular shape so that the hollow body or casing thus created forms a flotation tank which serves to keep the gear afloat. In orderto make the device doubly safe the tank may be filled with buoyant material such as plastic foam. The I amount of the buoyant material 44 incorporated in the tank should be determined by the weight of the beaching gear.

The flotation tank is carried on a running gear comprising an axle 45 parallel to one side of the triangular base of the skeleton frame structure and on a large pair of wheels 46, 46. A small caster or pivot wheel 47 is attached at the corner ofthe triangle opposite the side to which the axle is parallel so that the major portion of the weight will be upon the axle and the larger wheels. The structure described permits the beaching gear to rock or pivot about both horizontal and vertical pivots. A towing ring 48 is provided above the caster wheel for connection to a towing cable.

With the use of this structure the adaptors may be carried on board or kept on land while the beaching gear preferably is located at each port thereby not occupying valuable cargo or other space. In order to insure quick beaching, it is desirable to have the appropriate adaptors already attached to the beaching gear so that the beaching gear can be quickly floated into position and attached and later just as quickly detached, thus effecting a substantial saving of time.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is shown in the drawings and described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: 1

1. Beaching gear comprising an adaptor for a flying boat so designed as to mate with the configuration of such boat, a rocker member connected to the base of the adaptor, a turntable pivoted on a generally horizontal axis to said rocker member and having upper andlower relatively rotatable portions, stop means for limiting the pivoting movement on said generally horizontal axis between said rocker member and turntable, the upper of said turntable portions having a shank, the lower of said turntable portions having an opening therein and being received on said shank, retaining means on said shank for maintaining the portions in assembled relation, means for locking said turntable portions against relative rotary movement, a skeleton frame supporting said lower turntable portion and having a bottom and three sides all subcasing forming a flotation tank, buoyant material in said casing, and running gear for said casing comprising an axle secured to and extending along one side of the bottom of said frame, relatively large supporting wheels rotatably mounted on said axle, and a smaller wheel pivoted to said frame at the corner remote from said axle.

2. Beaching gear comprising an adaptor for a flying boat so designed as to mate with the configuration of such boat, with. the adaptor having projecting means for complementary receipt by the structure to be beached, a rocker member connected to the base of the adaptor, a turntable pivoted on a generally horizontal axis to said rocker member and having upper and lower relatively rotatable portions, the upper of said turntable portions having a shank, the lower of said turntable portions having an opening therein and being received on said shank, retaining means on said shank for maintaining the portions in assembled relation, means for locking said turntable portions against relative rotary movement, a frame supporting the lower of said turntable portions and having a bottom and three sides all substantially of triangular shape, a plate covering each triangle and with the sum of said plates providing a casing forming a flotation tank, buoyant material in said casing, an axle secured to and extending along one side of the bottom of said frame, relatively large supporting wheels rotatably mounted on said axle, and a smaller wheel pivoted to said frame at the corner remote from said axle.

3. Beaching gear comprising an adaptor for a flying boat, a rocker member connected to the base of the adaptor, a turntable having upper and lower relatively rotatable portions with one of said portions pivoted to said rocker member for rocking movement about a horizontal axis, one of said turntable portions having a shank, the other of said turntable portions having an opening therein and being received on said shank, retaining means on said shank for maintaining the portions in assembled relation, means for locking said turntable portions against relative rotary movement, a frame supporting the other of said turntable portions and having a bottom and three sides all substantially of triangular shape, a casing forming a flotation tank attached to said frame, buoyant material in said casing, an axle extending along and secured to one side of the bottom of said frame, relatively large supporting wheels rotatably mounted on said axle, and a smaller wheel pivoted to said frame at the corner remote from said axle.

4. Beaching gear comprising an adaptor for quick attachment to and detachment from structure to be beached, running gear, a rocker member connected to the base of the adaptor, a turntable pivoted on a horizon tal axis to said rocker member and having upper and lower portions relatively rotatable on a vertical axis, a floatation tank supporting the lower portion of the turntable for keeping afloat said running gear when in water. said floatation tank being air-tight, and buoyant material in said tank whereby air trapped in the tank has a buoyant effect on the structure and the buoyant material in the tank will insure buoyancy if a leak is sprung in the tank.

5. Beaching gear comprising an adaptor for quick attachment to and detachment from structure to be beached, running gear, a pair of connections between said adaptor and said running gear, one having a horizontal pivot and the other having a vertical pivot, said connections including a turntable, the upper portion of which forms a part of the horizontal connection and its lower portion forms a part of the vertical connection, a floatation tankfor keeping afloat said running gear when in water attached to the lower portion of the turntable, said tank having a base and three sides each of which is side and attached to the bottom of the tank, and a pivot wheel at the corner of the bottom of the tank remote from such side.

6. Beaching gear for attachment to a movable object comprising an adaptor for direct attachment to the movable object, a pair of downwardly extending lugs projecting from said adaptor and provided with aligned generally horizontally extending openings, a disk-shaped swivel portion having an upwardly extending projection extending between said lugs, a pivot pin extending through said lugs and said projection whereby the said first swivel portion may rock about said pivot pin, means to limit the rocking movement of said first swivel portion with respect to said adaptor, a second swivel portion rotatably mounted on said first swivel portion, a hollow frame extending downwardly from said second swivel portion and fixedly connected thereto, buoyant material in said hollow frame, a pair of wheels rotatably mounted on said frame in oflset relation to the pivot between said adaptor and said first swivel portion, and a caster wheel mounted on said frame in oflfset relation to said pivotal connection on the opposite side thereof from said first mentioned pair of wheels.

7. The invention according to claim 6 in which the frame is of pyramidal configuration with triangular plates covering each side thereof and with the sum of said plates forming a floatation tank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,549,688 Rohrback Aug. 11, 1925 2,007,752 De Seversky July 9, 1935 2,190,358 Henrichsen et al Feb. 13, 1940 2,392,786 Tormollan Jan. 8, 1946 

